Physiology is the science of life. It is the branch of biology that aims to understand the mechanisms of living things, from the basis of cell function at the ionic and molecular level to the integrated behaviour of the whole body and the influence of the external environment. Research in physiology helps us to understand how the body works in health and how it responds and adapts to the challenges of everyday life; it also helps us to determine what goes wrong in disease, facilitating the development of new treatments and guidelines for maintaining human and animal health. The emphasis on integrating molecular, cellular, systems and whole body function is what distinguishes physiology from the other life sciences.

Physiology is an experimental science. Research in physiology advances our understanding of the detailed mechanisms that control and regulate the behaviour of living things. We continue to learn more about fundamental processes, such as the control of heart rate or the sense of vision, through comprehensive exploration of the multiple processes involved.